Off the Deck

“That’s dreadful,” said the handsome fellow, "May I be of any assistance?"

“Oh, my goodness,” Maya responded, alarmed by the idea. "Please, there’s no need for you to trouble yourself.”

"Whatever you prefer. Do tell me if you reconsider."

"You’ve helped plenty by listening.” Then she hesitated, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Maya had never experienced anything like this before. She used to leading a secluded life,

and was incredibly introverted. Yet here she was, expressing her deepest feelings to a person she had only just encountered thirty minutes earlier.

The clock on the wall showed five minutes until eleven. In a distant corner, a jazz band played while acquaintances chatted merrily nearby. The lounge was dimly illuminated, which filled the evening air with a warm orange light. Maya never imagined she had ever been in a location as delightful as this.

It might have been the enchanting ambiance of the room and the evening that allowed her to lower her defenses. Or perhaps it was just her new tall, self-assured, and charming companion.

“How about we head outside for some fresh air, it’s cramped in here.” The stranger smiled, breaking her train of thought.

Maya didn’t find it particularly stuffy, but she remained silent as they headed to the elevator and ascended two floors to an upper deck. “Let me show you something special,” her new companion remarked, guiding her down the quiet hallway and towards a sturdy doorway. “We can exit here.”

It was Maya’s first time on deck. It was rather cold, and a wind howled around the vessel, as drifting spray dampened her hair and shoulders. The moment couldn't have been more intense. Irate clouds hurried by a beautiful moon. The massive vessel cut its path through turbulent seas. Above and beneath them, beams from innumerable windows and portholes lit up the sea spray. She drew a sharp breath at the beauty.

“Just a little further.” Her partner guided them to the back rail at the end of the ship. "Here. Look over the guardrail."

Gripping the railing firmly, Maya bent forward. It was a direct plunge to the ocean beneath, which churned and foamed around the back. She could see a billion lights twinkling in a milky trail, the sea bustling with phosphorescence.

“It’s breathtaking. What are those lights?” she murmured, trembling in the chilly air.

In reply, a soft hand wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her close.

Maya held back for just a moment. She then let herself be drawn in, feeling grateful for the warmth. While she gazed at the otherworldly light below, she sensed another hand move up and grip her other shoulder. The hold became firmer.

Suddenly, with one harsh yank, she sensed herself being hoisted into the air and swung over the railing.

A lengthy, chaotic gust of wind, and then, abruptly, a terrifying impact as she plunged into the frigid water.

She rolled and turned, confused by the water, and stunned by the collision. She then struggled upward, her clothing and footwear feeling like lead, and surfaced, gasping, reaching for the air.

For a brief instant, her thoughts were jumbled as she wrapped her mind around what happened. Did the railing break somehow? Then she knew: there was no accident. She was thrown.

The reality of it bewildered her. How could this be? She glanced around frantically, instinctively keeping herself afloat. The magnificent stern of the vessel was already fading into the darkness. She parted her lips to scream, but it was swiftly filled with the relentless waves. She struggled, attempting to stay afloat, choking. The water was unbearably cold.

“Help!” she shouted, her voice so weak and strained that she could barely hear it above the gusting wind, the pounding engines, and the tumultuous waves.

The water was freezing, entirely freezing. She struggled, her battered limbs weighing ten thousand pounds.

She was heaved off the ship.

She stared helplessly at the fading group of lights. Through the stern windows of the moving mass, she could also see black moving dots outlined by the bright light. They were people.

“Help!” She attempted to wave her arm and sank, scrambling her way back to the surface.

She quickly removed her shoes. However, it was no use. Her feet had gone numb. She attempted several weak strokes, but swimming was futile; she needed all her energy now just to keep her head out of the water.

The cruise was beginning to disappear into the evening fog that hovered just above the water's surface. The lights were becoming fainter. The sound of the engine and the bubbling trail gradually faded away. The water changed to pitch black.

The illumination disappeared. A little later, the soft pulsing of the engines died down to nothing.

She gazed in shock at where the lights and sounds vanished. Everything was dark. She fixed her gaze on the point, frightened to look away and miss it, as if she still had a chance. The ocean surrounding her was deep and unruly. The moon glowed bright as ever. The fog rested on the ocean, briefly shining in the moon‘s luminescence, before fading as the moon disappeared behind clouds. She felt herself carried by the waves, over and over.

As she struggled to gaze into the foggy gloom, a wave crashed over her with a hiss, pushing her down. She thrashed and scratched. Surrounding her was complete darkness and a harsh, unyielding chill.

Though, while she fought, the biting cold began to diminish a bit, giving way to an unexplainable warmth. Her limbs vanished. With each passing second, her actions became more sluggish, requiring an enormous amount of willpower for any movement. She exerted an incredible effort to remain above water, yet her entire body had become dead weight. She started to imagine resting in her own bed. This was all a nightmare. She felt relief and thankfulness wash over her. The mattress was cozy, fluffy, cushioned, and she rolled over and sensed herself sinking into the dark warmth. She let out a sigh, and felt a solid and heavy sensation on her chest. A flash of realization surged back into her awareness: she was not in her bed; this was not a dream but plunging into the endless dark depths of the ocean, her lungs nearly exhausted.

I was killed, was the final thought that crossed her mind as she sunk, and then she exhaled one last time, the remainder of her breath leaving her lips in a surge of mute terror.